A Very Special Episode of Doctor Who
Wow, someone on staff really likes Vincent Van Gogh. I do love his art and he is one of the greats, but I don't know that he is the MOST IMPORTANT ARTIST IN THE HISTORY OF EVER. Especially when with this show you really do have the HISTORY OF EVER to pick from.
I didn't hate it, but I can't say I really loved it either. It was an improvement over last week, but I had nitpicks. There was something about the pacing that put me off. It felt disjointed between the "Fighting monsters with Van Gogh!" and "Monsters are people too!" and "Depression!" and then the very strange jump to the Musée d'Orsay of the present.
Forced. Forced is the word I'm looking for. None of those things felt particularly earned. The Doctor and Amy were hanging with Van Gogh for a day or two at most, but they are all BFFs by the end somehow. The monster of the week felt like a side note to the DEEP AND ABIDING LOVE BETWEEN VAN GOGH, AMY, AND THE DOCTOR. Especially since they tried to give it a tiny bit of character development at the end by indicating it was acting violently only due to its blindness. Incidentally, everyone on the episode got over feeling bad about killing it pretty damn fast.
The Doctor did show compassion for it, but he didn't try particularly hard to talk to it or help it and that felt out of character to me. Something I've taken away as essential to his character is his need to offer everyone (from any race) a chance. If they don't take that chance, then it's on their heads and not his. Maybe this is a character trait that's specific to Nine and Ten, but not Eleven?
I did honestly get all teary-eyed during the very strange jump to the Musée d'Orsay of the present. (Despite the cheesy, popular background music.) And it was the Musée d'Orsay! Super cool because I've been there and could point at things and go "I'VE SEEN THAT. I'VE BEEN IN THAT ROOM." which is always fun.
I liked that bit, so I'm overlooking the fact that it seems like the last thing the Doctor would risk. I thought for sure when Amy and the Doctor went back again after dropping off Van Gogh that, if he hadn't killed himself, all his works would be gone from the museum and no one would know who he was or something worse. Because when you muck with time it always has crazy weird consequences. I guess not in this instance though. Just as well.
I'm also overlooking the cheesy holding hands in the field thing while star gazing because Starry Night is my favorite, ha.
Hey Brits, do you always pronounce Van Gogh as Van "Goth?" Because I had no idea. Here on this side of the pond it's always been Van "Go." I suppose to get the definitive version we need to find someone who speaks Dutch.